Mockingbird
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<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>"You who know, O Lord, remember me, take notice of me, and take vengeance for me on my persecutors. Do not, in view of your patience, take me away; know that for Your sake I endure reproach. Your words were found and I ate them, and Your words became for me a joy and the delight of my heart; for I have been called by your name, O Lord God of hosts. I did not sit in the circle of merrymakers, nor did I exult. Because of Your hand upon me I sat alone, for You filled me with indignation. Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? Will You indeed be to me like a deceptive stream with water that is unreliable?" Jeremiah 15:15-18</end quote></div>
When Jeremiah was a young man, God said to him, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5. Now, this was a pretty cool thing; the modern-day equivalent would be like God saying, "I want you to be a super hero." Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way Jeremiah might have expected. While false prophets everywhere were proclaiming peace and joy, Jeremiah was told to proclaim war and destruction; while false prophets were saying God was happy with Israel, Jeremiah was told to proclaim God's anger. As a result, Jeremiah became an outcast, his friends turned against him, and he was often mocked and persecuted for the words which he was commanded to speak.
Now, obviously cystic fibrosis is a lot different than the situation Jeremiah was in, but we may draw some comparisons. We can imagine Jeremiah watching the people around him carelessly go about their lives, concerning themselves with relatively petty things, content in their ignorance. The few friends who may have stuck by Jeremiah's side probably did not really understand what he was going through, often saying insensitive things without knowing it. More than once Jeremiah was undoubtedly accused of making things up to get attention. In addition, as a young man Jeremiah plausibly had some hopes and dreams for his future life, and as his childhood friends were able to live their lives and strive for their own hopes and dreams Jeremiah must have felt his life hijacked by God as he continued in his misery and pain.
Indeed, how many of us have asked God in some way or another, "Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You said You would be there for me, God, so where are You?"
When Jeremiah asks this question, God responds to him:
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>"If you return, then I will restore you - before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you." Jeremiah 15:19-20</end quote></div>
It is important for us to understand this response. First, God says, "If you return, then I will restore you." God had promised Jeremiah from the start, "I am with you to deliver you." Jeremiah 1:8, yet Jeremiah had lost faith in that promise. In the same way, God has promised His favor to all who believe in Him, but whenever we encounter trails in this life there is a temptation to lose faith in this promise and, consequently, in God. Now, this does not make us a horrible person, but we will have to regain our faith if we are to continue in our relationship with God.
God continues, "Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman." God is the ultimate judge and decider of our fate, not the people who were afflicting Jeremiah, nor the cystic fibrosis which afflicts us or our loved ones. However, God then proceeds to tell Jeremiah he must extract the precious from the worthless. We often make the mistake of thinking God, because He is forgiving and kind, is more likely to take mitigating factors into account when He judges us. In truth, God judges much more strictly than anything on this earth, which is why we require His forgiveness. After all, if God did allow for extenuating circumstances, there would have been no reason for Christ to come to earth and die on the cross.
At any rate, what does it mean, to extract the precious from the worthless? It is possible God meant Jeremiah was to turn Israel from their contrary ways, refining the silver which had previously refused to be refined. It is more likely, however, God meant Jeremiah was to extract the precious from that which was worthless in himself, to extract faith from his doubt, to extract strength from his human weakness. We are given cystic fibrosis, but that does not mean we are to sit around and complain about it, nor does it give us an excuse to fail because of it. Cystic fibrosis for its part may bend to us, but as for us, as servants of God we must not bend to cystic fibrosis. Rather, as it says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4.
This brings us to the next part of God's response to Jeremiah, "Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze." Bronze is a very strong metal, but in order for copper to be made into bronze, it must be melted so that it can be combined with another metal. In the same way, we must encounter trails if endurance is to become part of our character. When God says He is with us to save us and deliver us, He does not mean He is going to protect us in a padded satin case as if we were a faberge' egg, but rather He is going to strengthen us so we can withstand whatever life should throw at us.
We remember of when Jesus and the disciples were caught in a storm, "There arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said tot he sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?' " Mark 4:35-40.
We notice Jesus does not praise the disciples for coming to Him for help, but rather He rebukes them, "Where is your faith?" It was easy enough for Jesus to calm the storm, but He much preferred the disciples would maintain their faith through the storm, knowing God would not allow them to perish according to His promise. God continues in His response to Jeremiah, "Though they fight against you, they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you." The storm would continue for Jeremiah, just as our storms continue for us. However, we have God's promise we will ultimately prevail. We may not win every battle, but God will bring us through the war.
When Jeremiah was a young man, God said to him, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations." Jeremiah 1:5. Now, this was a pretty cool thing; the modern-day equivalent would be like God saying, "I want you to be a super hero." Unfortunately, things did not turn out the way Jeremiah might have expected. While false prophets everywhere were proclaiming peace and joy, Jeremiah was told to proclaim war and destruction; while false prophets were saying God was happy with Israel, Jeremiah was told to proclaim God's anger. As a result, Jeremiah became an outcast, his friends turned against him, and he was often mocked and persecuted for the words which he was commanded to speak.
Now, obviously cystic fibrosis is a lot different than the situation Jeremiah was in, but we may draw some comparisons. We can imagine Jeremiah watching the people around him carelessly go about their lives, concerning themselves with relatively petty things, content in their ignorance. The few friends who may have stuck by Jeremiah's side probably did not really understand what he was going through, often saying insensitive things without knowing it. More than once Jeremiah was undoubtedly accused of making things up to get attention. In addition, as a young man Jeremiah plausibly had some hopes and dreams for his future life, and as his childhood friends were able to live their lives and strive for their own hopes and dreams Jeremiah must have felt his life hijacked by God as he continued in his misery and pain.
Indeed, how many of us have asked God in some way or another, "Why has my pain been perpetual and my wound incurable, refusing to be healed? You said You would be there for me, God, so where are You?"
When Jeremiah asks this question, God responds to him:
<div class="FTQUOTE"><begin quote>"If you return, then I will restore you - before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman. They for their part may turn to you, but as for you, you must not turn to them. Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze; and though they fight against you, they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you." Jeremiah 15:19-20</end quote></div>
It is important for us to understand this response. First, God says, "If you return, then I will restore you." God had promised Jeremiah from the start, "I am with you to deliver you." Jeremiah 1:8, yet Jeremiah had lost faith in that promise. In the same way, God has promised His favor to all who believe in Him, but whenever we encounter trails in this life there is a temptation to lose faith in this promise and, consequently, in God. Now, this does not make us a horrible person, but we will have to regain our faith if we are to continue in our relationship with God.
God continues, "Before Me you will stand; and if you extract the precious from the worthless, you will become My spokesman." God is the ultimate judge and decider of our fate, not the people who were afflicting Jeremiah, nor the cystic fibrosis which afflicts us or our loved ones. However, God then proceeds to tell Jeremiah he must extract the precious from the worthless. We often make the mistake of thinking God, because He is forgiving and kind, is more likely to take mitigating factors into account when He judges us. In truth, God judges much more strictly than anything on this earth, which is why we require His forgiveness. After all, if God did allow for extenuating circumstances, there would have been no reason for Christ to come to earth and die on the cross.
At any rate, what does it mean, to extract the precious from the worthless? It is possible God meant Jeremiah was to turn Israel from their contrary ways, refining the silver which had previously refused to be refined. It is more likely, however, God meant Jeremiah was to extract the precious from that which was worthless in himself, to extract faith from his doubt, to extract strength from his human weakness. We are given cystic fibrosis, but that does not mean we are to sit around and complain about it, nor does it give us an excuse to fail because of it. Cystic fibrosis for its part may bend to us, but as for us, as servants of God we must not bend to cystic fibrosis. Rather, as it says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." James 1:2-4.
This brings us to the next part of God's response to Jeremiah, "Then I will make you to this people a fortified wall of bronze." Bronze is a very strong metal, but in order for copper to be made into bronze, it must be melted so that it can be combined with another metal. In the same way, we must encounter trails if endurance is to become part of our character. When God says He is with us to save us and deliver us, He does not mean He is going to protect us in a padded satin case as if we were a faberge' egg, but rather He is going to strengthen us so we can withstand whatever life should throw at us.
We remember of when Jesus and the disciples were caught in a storm, "There arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so much that the boat was already filling up. Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they woke Him and said to Him, 'Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?' And He got up and rebuked the wind and said tot he sea, 'Hush, be still.' And the wind died down and it became perfectly calm. And He said to them, 'Why are you afraid? Do you still have no faith?' " Mark 4:35-40.
We notice Jesus does not praise the disciples for coming to Him for help, but rather He rebukes them, "Where is your faith?" It was easy enough for Jesus to calm the storm, but He much preferred the disciples would maintain their faith through the storm, knowing God would not allow them to perish according to His promise. God continues in His response to Jeremiah, "Though they fight against you, they will not prevail against you; for I am with you to save you and deliver you." The storm would continue for Jeremiah, just as our storms continue for us. However, we have God's promise we will ultimately prevail. We may not win every battle, but God will bring us through the war.